Having your first child or adding to your family is a very exciting and rewarding experience. Before the baby arrives there seems to be a lot to do, fix up the nursery, attend baby showers and yes, start planning financially for that new bundle of joy. New children often require a re-working of the monthly expenditures, whether you are on a budget or not.

Love and money are two topics that go hand in hand as part of building a healthy relationship that lasts. Unfortunately, many couples don’t discuss money issues until after getting married. There are a few important topics to cover with your significant other before walking down the aisle.

Several large e-mail providers have experienced security compromises over the past two weeks. We strongly encourage FORUM members to change their e-mail passwords. As an added precaution, we also recommend changing your online banking password. Your e-mail and online banking passwords should never be the same.

Buying a home can be a great experience especially if you are prepared ahead of time and understand the process. Once you know you are ready to buy a home, start the process by assembling your team and taking a couple of important steps before looking at specific houses.

Buying your first house is a big step and often times, people don’t find out if they are really ready to own a home before embarking on the process. Being ready is about being financially and emotionally prepared to buy and own a home.